After an extraordinary lunch at the new(ish) Thai restaurant Sen Yai Sen Lek, in Northeast Minneapolis, we decided to give the place another enthusiastic shot a week later. Our conversation afterwards went as follows:

Maggie: Let’s talk Sen Yai Sen Lek. Bad news first:

Emily: Well, after trying two phenomenal dishes the first time we ate here, we tried two mediocre ones.

Maggie: Mediocre?! I sent mine back. It promised “yellow bean soy sauce” and the server (she was the mediocre one) insulted me by plopping down whatever their mistranslation added up to: hot brown puddle, rancid tofu, crispy vegetables and a scarily gelatinous giant brain of a noodle hiding under it all… I didn’t want to look for it.

Emily: And the spring rolls were very light…like rolled-up tissues. Although they tasted fresh and had a pleasant crunch, the most prominent flavors were scallion and wonton wrapper.
Not impressive.

Maggie: Also, the tamarind sauce for the rolls was way too sweet. They had issues with sweet things that day.

Emily: Yeah. Although, it is nice that their sodas are cane sugar sweetened (Boylan brand). Good for ze body.

Maggie: And, thankfully, I was able to replace the scary first thing I ordered with our favorite (Khao Soi) from the first time we were there.

Emily: Our lunch looked up after that. The waitress even remembered to bring that quartet of spices with your second dish. I think that is one of the most unique features of the restaurant.

Maggie: Right. They try to achieve the four thai flavors: sweet (cane sugar), sour (sliced jalapenos in vinegar), hot (crushed dried red peppers), and salty (thai chilies in fish sauce). This isn’t the kind of place that asks what spice level you want your dish prepared. You do it yourself, and that’s probably my favorite part.

Emily: Mine too. That and THE DESSERT.

Maggie: Ohhhh man.

Emily: No mystery textures — remember how pretty those slivers of mango looked, fanned out on the plate? Combined with a bite of nutty, creamy sticky rice, it was a really simple way to end a less-than-all star meal. So, overall…

Maggie: Beware: the Rad Naa Neua (the pool of shiny brownness) and the Po Pia sad (boring fresh spring rolls).

Emily: And dishes that don’t match their ingredient list on the menu. Actually, this “worst” list doesn’t look that bad after all. Probably because there are so many things that give Sen Yai Sen Lek potential…

Maggie: Because our first time eating there was so fantastic, we want it to do well so badly and it does have potential. The service is pretty ok, and when you get a good dish, it’s really good. And the space is gorgeous. Warm and colorful.

Emily: True. They also pay attention to their community.

Maggie: Right. They get all their proteins locally (save tofu), have recyclable takeout containers, and they make your leftovers into compost if you want.

Emily: And they use free-range hormone-free chicken!

Maggie: So for all you chicken lovers… STOP ON BY SEN YAI!

Emily: You disgust me

Maggie: I disgust myself more.

Tags: food, Northeast